Inland

Ursula Chandler

Studio Description

The studio will collaborate with Yorta Yorta representatives on a cultural building located in Echuca Moama, two towns bordering Victoria and News South Wales. The building, seen as a gateway to the First Nations-operated Dharnya Centre in Barmah National Park, will focus on education, culture and tourism.

Located on the Murray River, Echuca Moama was historically a busy 19^th century inland port town, exporting wool, wheat, and timber. This history continues through tourism paddle steamers and river cruises, while agriculture remains central to the region.

We will investigate the river and surrounding iconic, river red gum forest, exploring its history and management from pre-settlement through to colonial exploitation, to current tensions between environmental water needs and farming demands.

Architecture’s intrinsic link to extraction will be critiqued through material and construction exploration.

Studio Outcomes

Considering construction as the DNA of architecture, projects will be explored, experimented with, and resolved through comprehensive and iterative drawing.

This will include, large and small scale mapping, detailed drawing, including experimenting with construction resolution of conceptual ideas into large scale sectional drawings, iterative physical model making and material studies undertaken in part at the Machine Workshop (MSD).

Informed by comprehensive research, a nuanced approach to site- both physical and metaphysical, and the idea of innovation and transformation, all projects will be underpinned by a clear theoretical position

Students will be required to participate in an overnight site visit, which will involve camping in the Barmah National Park. The stay will involve workshops with Yorta Yorta traditional owners and representatives.

Studio Leader/s

Ursula has worked on projects across Australia, the United Kingdom and Africa. She directs her own practice [ursulachandler.com] having been employed as a Project Lead at Adjaye Associates and various Melbourne architects. The practice focuses on the specificity of each brief and site and has an interest in reuse and heritage, and regional locations.

Ursula has previously taught design studios from first year through to Design Thesis, architectural history and construction technology and is an examiner for the ARBV registration exam. She graduated from the University of Melbourne in Architecture and Landscape Architecture, and received the RAIA Bates Smart Graduate Prize and Robert Barber Award in Landscape Architecture.

Readings & References

To be provided in class in week 1

Schedule:
Monday 3pm-9pm in MSD 140

Off-site Activities:

Contact Handbook